


Grow As We Go

by CanadianSlytherin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/F, F/M, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Prefects, Hufflepuff, M/M, Slow Burn, Squib Harry Potter, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 19:00:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30043263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanadianSlytherin/pseuds/CanadianSlytherin
Summary: Acacia got through most of her years at Hogwarts going undetected. But after getting a new roll for the upcoming school year, she's thrown from the darkness into the shadows of the spotlight. With her new friends she helps deal with the trials of the wizarding worlds. In attempt to make her life more comfortable, Ron strike a deal to befriend each other in attempt to make it more pleasant, but they get in over their heads.Ron Weasley x OCDisclaimer: The contents of the Harry Potter Universe belong to JKR.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Ron Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Theodore Nott/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Low Flying Angels

The summer had been a slow and dark one. Though the sun shone brightly on Brighton and children played effortlessly in the waves that lapped against the beach, the Fletcher house had been somber. The loss of Cedric Diggory left the twins in a twist. One had been his best friend and the other had been desperately in love with him. No matter how much the youngest child had tried to bring the sun to them through plants and sunscreen, it didn't seem to work. She was a fixer, always trying to help with other's problems and sadness with sunshine and happiness. So when she couldn't crack them, she took herself away. The young girl didn't mind, she enjoyed the alone time that was rare growing up with 4 older siblings.

Acacia woke up that day the same way she had the last 5 years, tired and objectionable. Today, the book list for school would come and she and her sisters would go down to the stores to shop. She dragged herself out of bed and wandered downstairs, following the scent of bacon and pancakes, the classic last meal at the Fletchers. The next morning they would be up bright and early for the Knight Bus to take to London, then the train to school.

"Letters came." Mrs. Fletcher said and gestured to the three envelopes on the table.

Acacia sat at the table and pulled hers from the bottom of the pile while her two sisters, Hazel and Juniper grabbed theirs and took a seat.

"Basic stuff." Hazel said plainly as she read her list.

"Note from Sprout about Career Counselling on the first Saturday back." Juniper added.

"What about you Case?" Hazel asked, using one of the few young girl's nicknames.

"Same." Acacia said plainly as she unfolded her letter and a small pin dropped from the envelope.

"Acacia got prefect!" Juniper exclaimed and smiled, one of the few she'd shown during the summer.

"You absolute Niffler, you're replacing me!" Hazel joked and stood from her chair to wrap her sister in a hug.

"I'll have to write to your Father and let him know, he'll be so proud!" Mrs. Fletcher said happily as she set the food down on the table.

Mr. Fletcher was a Muggle and worked in the government, mostly dealing with relations with the Irish. He was away often, much to the dismay of his family. But when he was around, he was a great dad who loved his magical family deeply. Mrs. Fletcher was from a long line of squibs, so when their children started showing signs of having magical abilities was a joy to the family. They always pushed their children to excel, which led to all of them to be prefects, save Juniper who preferred Quidditch.

Her mom and sisters fussed over the small girl the rest of breakfast, her mom going on about her older brothers both being prefects as well and Hazel sharing stories of her year as prefect. She avoided the stories that involved Cedric but still spoke about it with vigor. A small part of Acacia felt proud that she was selected as prefect, knowing it'll look good on her application to St. Mungos upon her graduation, but the overwhelming sense of dread about the responsibilities that come along with it put a damper on that joy.

She escaped up to her room as soon as she was done eating, getting ready for the day. She tossed on a simple red sundress and some yellow robes over that she had gotten from her friend last Christmas. She simply brushed out her hair and called it a day, heading downstairs to meet her sisters. They used the Floo Network to go to Diagonal Alley and arrived immersed in the busy street. Acacia had planned to meet her friend outside Flourish and Botta so she quickly separated from the tall twins and went to meet her.

Isadora Barclay was the best friend anyone could've wished for. The two had met in History of Magic first year and bonded over their mutual love for Hogwarts: A History. Isadora was a Slytherin, and true to it. She came from a line of purebloods and was cousins to Blaise Zabini, one of Draco Malfoy's cronies. She was ambitious, headstrong and rebellious from her family's ancient views. She would blast Spice Girls on repeat at any given chance and dabbled in cigarettes.

Isadora was Acacia's biggest supporter, helping her network with the Healers her family knew and making sure she attended the Yule Ball despite protests from the small girl. She was also her biggest protector, jinxing any of her housemates that dare say anything bad about Acacia to the point that barely anyone messed with her, even the first years.

When Acacia spotted her slender friend outside the shop, she felt the giddiness of being away from her best friend for so long consume her. Isadora had left her long, coily hair natural, floating as she bounced impatiently. The small white roll of a cigarette dangled between her fingers as tendrils of smoke rolled up her lip before a cloud escaped her lips. Luckily for Acacia, Isadora's boyfriend Theo Nott was nowhere to be seen, so it was just the two of them for today's shopping.

"Izzy!" Acacia exclaimed as she approached the dark girl quickly.

"Casey!" Isadora replied, tossing the dart to the ground before she raised her arms to bring the small girl in for a hug.

"You'll never guess what I got with my letter today." Acacia prompted. "A prefect pin!"

"That's absolutely wicked Casey! I didn't get it but that's alright, I'm hoping this will be the year I make the quidditch team." Isadora explained excitedly as they entered the shop and gathered their books.

They made their way down the cobblestone street and through the families bustling about, preparing for the new year. The girls stopped in at multiple stores, buying some new quidditch gear for Isadora and a few herbs from the Apothecary for Acacia. Eventually, they met up with Blaise and Theo before popping through The Leaky Cauldron and into Muggle London for a bite to eat. They settled on a small bistro a few blocks away from the hidden market and sat down.

"So, Pansy and Draco made prefects this year." Blaise told the group once they had ordered.

"Guess I'll be seeing them around a lot." Acacia replied, hiding her disdain. Though she could get along with Theo, Blaise and Isadora, that was about it from Slytherin.

"Yeah, Casey here made prefect. Our very own snitch!" Isadora exclaimed and slung an arm around her friend.

"Congrats. Taking after your sister now, aren't you." Theo congratulated her.

"Speaking of your sisters, is Willow still single?" Blaise joked. The two were often third-wheeling the love-struck couple so they would tease each other often. They had even gone so far as to go with each other to last year's ball together because their friends were going together.

"Catch yourself on Zabini." Acacia replied and kicked him softly under the table.

Luckily, the food arrived in time to end the impending roast fest that was about to occur and everyone chowed down. Though the large breakfast her mother had prepared was only consumed an hour or two earlier, Acacia was still hungry. They ate their meal in silence and paid when they were finished as Blaise and Theo were expected to meet Draco Malfoy at 1 PM in Diagon Alley and they knew better than to be late.

The girls accompanied them there before wandering a bit more, lingering outside the stores that sold fancy robes and pets. Acacia caught herself daydreaming as they meandered around the busy street, imagining stories for all the families they passed.

"And then a big purple monkey swooped down and ate my fish!" Isadora said shocked and looked at her friend.

"What?" Acacia asked, suddenly zoning back down.

"I knew you weren't listening. Fair enough, you normally get bored when I talk about Theo." Isadora laughed. "We need to get you a boyfriend, you need to loosen up. You're prefect now, you could easily sneak around."

"I don't need a boyfriend," Acacia sighed. "You just want to set me up with Blaise so you have someone to double date with."

"Blaise is a respectable guy and he's quite the ladies man. When mother sent me to visit for a week, he had this one girl come over and Merlin was she loud!" Isadora told her friend who immediately covered her ears with her hands and turned to face her, walking backwards.

"Nope! I don't want to hear about that." The small girl said, half-jokingly, half-serious.

"But Casey, you two would be so-." Isadora started but Acacia kept her ears covered and walked backwards, towards the series of fireplaces and away from her friend.

"La, la, la, la, la, l-." Acacia chanted, blocking out her friend until she tripped over someone's foot and fell, closing her eyes to brace for the hit. She landed on the ground with a thud, eyes still shut right and hands on her ears. She quickly opened her eyes to see three red-haired boys, two taller than the one that she had presumably tripped over.

"Merlin Ron, she really fell for you." One of the tall ones joked.

"I didn't know angels flew so low." The other joked and the two high fives while the shorter one kneeled beside the girl.

"Are you alright? You really ought to look where you're going." He said with a half-hearted smile.

"I'm alright. Sorry, my friend was just being an absolute tosser. I was just trying to get to the fireplaces." Acacia spluttered as she stood, wiping the dirt off her robes.

"You're Neville's friend aren't you?" The short one asked and she simply nodded, having used all her words up on her first response. "That's cool."

"Ronald!" A voice from behind them called and made all four turn to look. A short, frizzy-haired witch approached them, books in hand. "There you three are. Molly is going to have a fit when we get back late. Let's go."

The girl walked by the group, towards the exit into Muggle London. The two taller ones simply waved goodbye and followed while the shorter one waited a moment.

"I hope you're alright. Maybe I'll see you around the castle." He said kindly and she simply nodded again. A look of skepticism flashed across his face before he smiled and ran to catch up with his family and friend.

Acacia looked around for Isadora, wondering if she had just witnessed that but it appeared as if she had already left the alley. She made her way to the fireplace and called for the Fletcher Homestead. The house was warm and cozy, fresh cookies waiting for her on the kitchen table.

Her mother had inherited the house from her parents, it belonging to their line for generations. It sat atop a hill with a view of the ocean on one side, and thick trees on the other side. The house was large even for their family, with many rooms sitting open for visitors. According to her parents, it could be much larger, with hidden rooms tucked away around the house, like a ballroom for special occasions. Her parents had installed a pool over the summer in hopes it would tempt the grieving twins outside even for a moment.

Acacia wandered through the house and back up to her room to pack. Because of still being underage, she had to do it all the old fashion way, folding and rolling her clothes to fit in her case. By now though, she had it down to a science. Warmest clothes at the bottom, cooler clothes at the top, toiletries, books and treats at the top for easy access. She then moved on to her train bag, placing her robes on top and sliding the small enamel pin into the inside pocket to ensure she wouldn't lose it, along with some books and treats to give her something to do during the ride.

Seeing her childhood room picked up once again, she took off her wizarding robes and went down to the pool to enjoy the warm sun while it lasted. As she soaked in the rays, she theorized who else would be prefects. She already knew about Slytherin, and without a doubt, Hermione Granger would be one as well. Maybe Michael Corner and Sue Li, or Padma Patil and Terry Boot? Alongside her would possibly be Ernie Macmillan or Wayne Hopkins. She was quickly pulled from her thoughts at the sound of the screen door being pulled open with a small screech.

"Darling, I'm starting supper now so maybe you could start to get ready now as well? Everyone will be home in about an hour." Her mother told her kindly and closed the screen behind her.

It was Fletcher family tradition to have supper together the night before the train ride. It became even more important as they grew up and slowly separated. Excited to see her brothers, Acacia ran up to her room to clean herself up. After her fall in Diagon Alley, she didn't feel the cleanest. After a quick shower and drying charm, she changed into a colourful, light sweater and some baggy jeans with a belt to secure them to her figure.

Finally, the rest of the family arrived. Aspen through the Floo, Oakley simply apparated and her father from a plane, a car and through the front door.

Aspen was the oldest, about twelve years older than Acacia. He worked for the ministry in Muggle Relations. He loved his job as it allowed him to work closely with their father and was one of the few in the department that had a true understanding of the Muggle World.

Oakley was the second oldest, about two years younger than Aspen. He worked as a freelancer with the Werewolf registry. He has always enjoyed magical creatures growing up and had the belief that werewolves were simply people with an unfortunate condition that should be studied and understood, not locked up and treated poorly. Acacia got along the most with him as they were both the youngest at some point. The two both caring, gentle spirits who preferred the whimsy over the serious, unlike their older counterparts.

The supper went well as they chatted happily. They discussed Acacia's new prefect status, Aspen's possible promotion and how Juniper was fighting to be the first female Hufflepuff quidditch captain. They enjoy Mrs. Fletcher's stew and help clean up after while she packs leftovers for the three students. Oakley joking complains that he can't cook to save a fairy and would like some leftovers as well, which brings laughter to the room. Though he'd been out of the house nearly seven years, he still asked for leftovers when given the chance.

The two boys eventually leave after a few rounds of wizard chess and the house quiets as they all retreat to their rooms. The early morning approached rapidly and Acacia knew she wouldn't be ready. Despite being a Hufflepuff, she was much more of a night owl than a morning bird. Another thing that separated her and Oakley from the rest of the family. Growing up, the two would sneak around late at night, stealing cookies and running down to the beach for a late swim. As acacia changed into her sleep clothes and settled into bed, she dreamt of those nights with Oakley, sneaking around and having fun, missing it terribly. But the new school year on the horizon would bring new adventures, whether or not Acacia wanted it to.


	2. The Children Are Crying, What Do I Do?

The ride to the train station was chaotic as always, the family now used to the stretching and wild movements that came with avoiding muggles. But once they were inside platform 9 and 3/4, Acacia felt the giddiness of the new year take over. She bid her family goodbye, separating from her sisters who went towards their friends, before searching the crowd for Isadora. She spotted her snogging Theo just next to one of the doors, causing the families of younger students to veer away from that door and move down to the next. She sighed and walked over, trolley in tow. She cleared her throat to make herself known but that didn't work so she bumped them with her cart.

"Watch it," Isadora started meanly but softened when she saw her friend. "Oh, Acacia hey."

"Sorry to interupt," Acacia smiled sarcastically. "But I'd like to hang out before I have to meet with the prefects. Once I'm gone you two can do it in the cabin for all I care."

"Aww, you'd let us do that?" Isadora joked and hopped onto the train.

The three of them climbed on and wandered until they found their usual cabin. In the second year, Isadora and Acacia had found the last free one and settled in, hoping no one would bother the two. But Blaise and Theo wandered in and that was the start of their little friend group. Every year after that, the four of them would sit in that cabin, claiming it as their own. Their names were etched in the wood above where each of them sat. Acacia next to the window across from Isadora, Blaise by the door next to Isadora and across from Theo. However, after Theo and Isadora got together after the Yule Ball, Theo and Blaise swapped spots.

"What's up wankers." Blaise said as he entered the carriage, closing the door behind him.

"Not much ya punter. Took you long enough to to get here." Theo joked and they dap each other up.

"Surprised your still here, little miss prefect." Blaise joked as he sat down next to the small brunette.

"We're not meeting until halfway through the ride so I'm stuck with you sad sacks." Acacia replied and bumped shoulders with the boy as he sat next to her.

"Please, you love us." Isadora said playfully and puckered her lips, teasing Acacia as if she was going to kiss her.

The group laughed and chatted as the train pulled out of the station. They talked about their summer adventures; Isadora had gone to France to visit her sister teaching at Beauxbatons, Blaise had been invited to go to the Malfoy's but came down with a touch of dragon pox so he forwent his visit and Theo had learned a new strategy for wizard chess.

"You think you'll finally beat the queen?" Blaise amused his friend, referencing Acacia who was the current wizard chess champion of not only their friend group but also for the whole of Hufflepuff.

"He can try, but the crown is firm on my head." Acacia joked, miming placing a crown on her head.

"Well maybe for now." Theo taunted but the banter was cut short by Roger Davies knocking at the door.

"Acacia Fletcher?" Roger asked, looking at the young girl. "Prefect meeting starts in 10 minutes. Change into your robes and meet in our cabin."

He quickly left in search of the rest of the prefects, closing the door behind him. Blaise and Theo mocked the boy jokingly, making the two laugh as Acacia pulled out her robes and tucked the pin into her pants pocket. She made her way out of the cabin and towards one of the loos on the train. She quickly changed, slipping into the warm yellow sweater and long black robes. She nearly fashioned the yellow and silver enamel pin onto the right of her robes and left, heading down to the prefects meeting.

Once she arrived to the cabin, it was full. Roger Davies and Ella Wilkins, a seventh year from Slytherin, stood against the window while everyone else sat. She spotted Ernie MacMillan, who would be her counter part, Pansy and Draco like Blaise had said, Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for the new Ravenclaw prefects, and finally Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley for Gryffindor. All the older returning prefects barely listened to the Head Boy and Girl, knowing what to expect for the year. Acacia listened carefully, shooting Ernie a quick smile when he glanced her way.

"As you know, since the 1992 school year, prefects do rounds in pairs. This year however, to concentrate on school unity, you will no longer be on patrol with your fellow house prefect." Roger announced.

"You will be randomly paired with another prefect from your year. You will be with them for the first term and after the holiday break we will adjust need be." Ella continued over the chorus of discussion.

Some students seemed more excited than others about the mix up. Hermione seemed the least upset about it, surprisingly enough as she was pairs with one of her best friends. However, Hermione was the one that started the whole '2 Hogwarts Champions, not a champion and a cheater' thing last year when Harry's name also came out of the Goblet of Fire. Ernie and Acacia looked at each other and shrugged. As Hufflepuff, they were accommodating to change whether or not they liked it.

"You will receive your prefect pairing and schedule with your class schedule. Your prefect abilities and responsibilities don't come into effect until then. For now, go with your house partner and be friendly. Have fun." Ella continued, dismissing the lot. Acacia and Ernie quickly paired up and left the cabin to find other Hufflepuffs.

"I'm glad it's you who's my partner." Ernie told the brunette happily. "I was worried it was going to be Hannah Abbott. I asked her to the Yule Ball last year and she turned me down, it was embarrassing."

"No worries. I'm glad it's you too." Acacia replied, returning the feeling. "Justin asked me to the ball and I turned him down. That would've been awkward as well."

The two laughed and continued down the hallway, popping into rooms that hosted Hufflepuff's or first years to say hello or chat about their excitement for the upcoming year. They passed the trolley lady and Acacia picked up a couple of chocolates to give out and a cauldron cake for herself. They also passed the Weasley twins selling their inventions out of their cabin. Much to Ernie's dismay, Acacia decided to pop in to say hi after their run in at Diagon Alley.

"Hey Fred," The one on the left said and nudged his brother. "It's the girl that fell for Ron yesterday."

"It sure is George." The other smiles as she entered the cabin. "What can we help you with angel?"

"I'll get some nosebleed nougat, three please." She responded and pulled out the change needed for the purchase.

"I like you." Said the first one, obviously George. "Mione tried to get us to stop selling, but your actually supporting us."

"I agree with the ugly one." Fred joked. "We could make a sticker for our boxes. 'Prefect Approved', what do you think, um?"

"Acacia." She responded, guessing that he had forgotten her name. "And I'd like to keep my purchases top secret. If I were the face of your prefect approved boxes, I'd never be able to get out of class, or prank anyone."

"That's fair." George agreed.

"You'll know how to find us if you need more." Fred winked, making Acacia giggle slightly as she left the cabin.

"Why would you need their prank food?" Whispered Ernie, concern lacing his words.

"Potions with Snape. Love the subject, hate the man. He gives me weird vibes." Acacia told the blonde as they continued down the hall.

The two kept small talk and popped in to visit his friends when they came across them. They also ran into a cabin full of first years trying to console the smallest one. They informed the robed students that they were a Muggle born and were scared. Acacia produced the chocolate from her pockets, checking for the W stamp first before giving them each a piece. Ernie helped with emotional one while Acacia entertained the others with stories of her time at Hogwarts.

This moment saddened Acacia a bit as Ernie was a perfect match for their position. Being the upbeat, go lucky person she was and Ernie being the soft, gentle boy he was, they would have worked well together if it weren't for the switch. Once the child's tears were dried and a smile rose from their lips, the two called the case done and went on their way. Relishing in their first moment as prefects, they hugged each other excitedly in the hallway before moving down the train once again.

"Hey Branches!" A voice called out from inside a cabin the were passing that made Acacia cower behind Ernie. But he wasn't helpful as they both weren't big fans of the person behind the words.

"That thing probably as her ear plugs in, be louder." A female voice encouraged, making Acacia wince.

"Tree girl, I know you can hear me." The first voice said louder, pulling Acacia out from behind her blonde friend.

"Malfoy, Cordelia. Hi. Where's Pansy and Goyle?" She asked nervously, addressing them in speaking order.

Cordelia Barclay was Isadora's stepsister. Just like her sister, Isadora's mother was outrageously beautiful and married often, only to have her husband mysteriously die and leave their fortunes to her. However, in third year, one seemed to stick. Mr. Barclay was a good, kind man who Mrs. Zabini fell for instead of the other way around. He had a daughter the same age as she did so they got married. Mr. Barclay adopted Isadora so she would take his last name as well, solidifying their position as a family.

Unlike her father, Cordelia was a rude and ugly person on the inside. On the outside, she had beautiful blonde hair that flowed effortlessly down her back and dark green eyes that shone like emeralds. She was a Slytherin like Isadora, but that was the only similarity. Cordelia stood for the old school ideologies that plagued the green coloured house and had a strong dislike for everything to do with Isadora, which included Acacia.

"Draco darling, you didn't say the tree being was a prefect as well. I thought it was the prettier, older one." Cordelia said, her words laced with venom.

"Pansy and Goyle are out on patrol for me. Doing rounds is below me. And Cordelia my love, her sister was a prefect. But after Deadric, she gave it up like the lousy squib she is. Served her right, he was a lousy wizard too." Draco challenged the two with a laugh.

She could feel Ernie turning into an emotional wreck behind her. She had three choices in how to proceed in the situation. One would be to pull out her wand and hex the two to smithereens. The second option was to run away and comfort Ernie. So she chose the third.

"You know it's too bad you two are in such a fowl mood. I was going to give you two chocolates, guess not anymore." Acacia claimed and held the chocolate in her closed hand. She made an effort to let her fingers touch the tops of them before opening her hand.

"Well give them here." Cordelia said and snatched the chocolates from the prefect before her. Both Cordelia and Draco, as well as Crabbe, took a chocolate and ate it. "Now leave. Or should I say, leaf."

The three Slytherin's roared with laughter over the shitty pun but Acacia took it as her opportunity to take Ernie's hand and run to where her friends cabin was back up the train. Once inside the cabin, the two Hufflepuffs embraced and cried, leaving those already in the cabin confused. Blaise and Theo remained frozen in their spots but Isadora put out her smoke, stood up and joined in the embrace between her friend and the boy. Slowly, the two boys unfroze and added to the group hug, letting their friend at the bottom cry. Once their sobs seemed to slow, Isadora peeled off the pile and spoke up.

"What happened?" She asked softly, rubbing her hand in circles on Acacia's back.

"Ran into Draco and Cordelia. They said some absolutely horrendous things. They brought up my sister giving up being a prefect, they used the mean nicknames and they talked about him." Acacia explained, her voice catching in the subject of her dead classmate. "You should've heard what he called him. It was worse than someone saying He Who Shall Not Be Named's name."

"I don't understand how you two are friends with him." Isadora turned to her boyfriend and cousin, her words sharp as ice. "He's absolutely, and I don't use this word lightly, cunt bollocks."

"Well," Blaise said hesitantly. "What exactly did he say?"

"He called my sister a squib, and called him," Acacia cried, getting nauseous about having to repeat what he said. "Deadric."

Ernie actually threw up when she repeated it, all over his, Acacia's and Isadora's shoes. Theo and Blaise both went pale from the combination of hearing what their friend had said and Ernie's reaction. Acacia simply followed Ernie as she was the kind to puke in reaction to puke. Once the two robe clad students were done, Isadora quickly pulled out her wand and whispered a spell to clean the mess. Somehow, the two prefects needed to be taken care of when they were supposed to be taking care of others.

"You two aren't going back out there. I'll go find Roger Davies and tell him what happened. Draco should not be a prefect if this is how he'll use his power." Isadora sneered and stood. Acacia's hand caught her friends wrist loosely and shook her head.

"Don't tell him. It will only make things worse. Just say that Ernie accidentally ate a puking pastille and we're going to be resting until we get to school." Acacia pleaded, giving her bronze friend the best puppy dog eyes she could muster.

"Fine. But you two better wash up. We'll be there soon." Isadora complied and left the cabin in search of the Head Boy.

"I think I' going to take a nap, right here." Ernie said in a trance like way before laying on the bench and closing his eyes. He extended his legs, forcing Blaise to move beside Theo and Acacia.

"I'm going to the loo to wash up. Watch him." She instructed the boys and left, keeping her head low.

Between her and the loo was the Weasley twins' cabin, where she was called in to say hi upon passing. They thanked her for using her products on such worthy candidates and gave her a homemade coupon to use at a later time if she wished. Lacking any sort of energy to contribute to the interaction, she simply nodded and continued on her way.

She approached the small, thick doored room and pulled on the handle, only to find out it was locked. She debating just returning to Ernie and her friends but decided to wait so she could get the rancid taste out of her mouth. She leaned against the opposing wall and waiting for the person to exit. Acacia ran her fingers through her hair, pulling back the dark locks from her face. She pulled the wand from her robes and used it to fasten her hair back in a bun at the back of her head. Shortly after, the lock on the door clicked and the person leaving was Ron Weasley. He did a double take on the brunette as she went to enter the lavatory.

"Acacia, are you alright?" He asked cautiously.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, plastering a warm smile across her lips.

"Your mascara is running. Ginny's makeup always looks like that after she's cried over some romcom movie she's just finished." He noted, causing the girl to wipe under her eyes.

"Oh, I just was with Isadora and Ernie. Laughed a little too hard I guess." She replied, tilting her head to lean on the door frame.

"Alright then." Ron accepted the answer hazily before turning to go find his own friends. Acacia sighed with relief and slipped into the small room, locking the door behind her.

Acacia stared at herself in the mirror, inspecting the smokey tear trails down her face and skin that was now regaining colour. She splashed some cool water across her face and conjured a clean wash cloth to help with her makeup situation. She thought to herself how much Oakley would laugh at the sight of her. He had always encouraged her to break the Hufflepuff stereotype of being welcome mats for everyone to wipe their shit on. That trait however, somehow missed Acacia as all of her siblings seemed to think that way as well.

Luckily, the whistle of the train approaching the station pulls her from her self wallowing and she returned to her usual cabin. Ernie was still asleep so she lifted his feet and placed them across her lap so she could sit. Although they weren't close, most Hufflepuff's had no personal space bubble. Ernie was part of the most as Acacia was not but she recognized that it would be soothing for him to wake up and her be there.

They finally pulled into the station and woke Ernie, who quickly left to retrieve his bag from the prefects cabin.

"Well, fifth year here we come." Isadora sighed and took both Theo and Acacia's arm. Blaise attached to Acacia as well and the three walked up towards the school, ready for whatever this year would throw them.


	3. Eat (Jelly) Slugs

Acacia stuck by her promise to Neville as much as she could, but Ron knew how to wear her down. She used all the tricks she's learned from her Slytherin friends as she could, but she was no match to the red-haired boy. She would tell him her most boring stories, whined about the smallest inconveniences and even told him every detail about her last period yet somehow the boy remained strong in his word to become her friend.

Now it wasn't that she didn't want to be his friend; over the last month of him trying to be her friend, she had grown fond of him. But it was the deal that made her want to be resistant. They probably could have been good friends by that point, but it just was who Acacia was. Growing up, whenever Mrs. Fletcher told her to clean her room, she'd make it messier, if Hazel asked to borrow a cute top for a date, she'd make a point in wearing it that day and accidentally spilling her morning tea on it.

Yet, there they were on the Wednesday of their October duty week, sharing a bag of Jelly Slugs. It was Ron's turn to bring snacks, who despite having the biggest appetite at Hogwarts, was more than willing to share.

"You know, snack sharing is probably the best term you could've set." Ron tells the girl as he picks out the last red treat from the bag.

"The second term I'd like to set, I get all the red ones." Acacia smirked as she plucked the sweet from his hand.

"No fair! They're the best." Ron sulked, comically crossing his arms and pouting.

"That's exactly the point." She giggled and bit the head off of the slug.

The two laughed got up from their spot in the Great Hall and went to do another round. This week they had been tasked to cover the two house towers and the classes in between. Unlike normal, there was something in the air that was getting to students. Acacia couldn't quite place it, but there was the spare set of students that would pass them that would bring the feeling back.

They had caught Luna Lovegood and Cho Chang taking their leisurely time getting back to the wise tower and they had knowingly greeted Ron who let them off with a warning. Acacia couldn't help but notice it affect Ron, who started to walk with an extra swagger after the incident. The Hufflepuff girl had decided not to pry as both girls were very pretty, and she was in no place to judge Ron's personal life.

The two continued on their final round as the long hand on the clock slowly edged its way towards midnight. Ron walked with his soon-to-be-friend towards her own house until they reached the spot they always ended at. Although, instead of their usual end-of-night chat, Ron stepped in closer, his face turning serious.

"Acacia, are you still unhappy with your Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons?" He asks her quietly.

"Of course." The girl laughed, crossing her arms. "Umbitch has been the worst one we've had yet. Worse than Gilderoy Lockheart and fake Mad-Eye."

"And if I were to tell you there were a group of students who felt the same, and they wanted to do something about it?" He pressed again.

"I would be interested to hear what they have planned." She replied skeptically.

"Hogsmeade tomorrow, Hogs Head Inn."

"Is that a date Weasley?"

"You wish." He winked, the swagger returning for a moment. "Answer the question, will you come?"

"Yes." She replies honestly.

-

The next morning Acacia woke up, finally able to identify the feeling she'd felt the night before. It was hope. It made her jitter as she got ready, changing into her favourite checkered wool sweater and loose blue-jeans. Trips to Hogsmeade meant she didn't have to wear her robes and could dress however she wanted. She pulled her long dark brown hair back into a ponytail with a plait running down along the right of her head.

Once satisfied with her appearance, she went grabbed a light coat and headed down to the warmly lit commons. She greeted everyone she passed, in normal Hufflepuff fashion. A gaggle of first years approached her, asking if she could get them some candy from Honeydukes and she happily agreed. She left the barrels and was immediately met by her three Slytherin friends.

"Morning boys! Izzy!" Acacia said happily.

"Are you excited? I was thinking Honeydukes then Three Broomsticks to get wasted?" Isadora asked cheerily.

"Sure. A few first years asked me to pick some things up for them and I agreed to meet up with Ron so I might have to skip the drink part."

"Ditching us for Weaselby?" Blaise mused, earning a playful punch in the arm.

"I think someone has a thing for our little Puff." Theo teased, getting his own punch in the arm from Isadora.

"She would never!" Isadora gasped. "She has better standards than that."

The three purebloods debated amongst themselves Acacia's love life, or lack thereof, all the way to Hogsmeade. Thankfully, as soon as they stepped foot into the quaint village, the conversation ceased and changed to what treats they would get at Honeydukes.

Acacia grabbed the jelly slugs, chocolate frogs and drew balls for the first years as requested before moving onto her own selection of treats. Once her basket was full, she went to the cash to pay. Though she enjoyed the sharing of snacks with Ron, it also meant she was going through her candy stash twice as fast. So stocking up was necessary.

"Merlin Casey, did you buy the whole store?" Theo joked as they made their way down the snowy path toward the Three Broomsticks.

"Duty shifts are making me fat. Need to stock up." She replied, avoiding the topic of Ron once again.

The Three Broomsticks was warm and lively, filled with student and patrons alike. Isadora and Acacia claimed a free table while the boys fetched their drinks. They returned with 2 mugs of butter beer each.

"Butter beer, extra shot of Firewhiskey." Blaise recited the short girls order as he set the mug in front of her.

"I'll never understand why you combine the two." Isadora laughed as she sipped the foamy beverage.

"Well, I milk it pretty well." Acacia replied, taking a big gulp of her drink. "Plus I'll probably want a bit of a buzz for my excursion with Ron."

"Where exactly are you two going?" Blaise asked.

"Dunno. Probably wants me to hang out with his friends. He's keen on me liking them as well."

"I thought the deal was you two being friends, not him and his posse." Theo noted.

Before Acacia could answer, she felt someone tap her shoulder. Ron.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm stealing your puff for a bit." Ron said with a friendly tone.

Blaise and Theo ignored the red boy while Isadora narrowed her eyes at him.

"She better be back in one piece. Drop her off at the Slytherin door." She instructed the stocky boy harshly. "Also, you hurt my friend, I will break every bone in your body, even the one that's only occasionally hard."

"Yes ma'am." Ron gulped as Acacia glared at her friend.

Acacia quickly finished as much of her drink as she could handle before kissing Isadora kindly on the cheek and collecting her coat. She followed Ron out of the pub and down a back path. The Hogs Head Inn was on the outskirts of the village and rarely used by students. Once inside, she immediately recognized many familiar faces. Luna Lovegood and Cho Chang, Zacharias Smith and of course Ron's brothers and two best friends.

The meeting started off relatively hostile as many students were still skeptical of Harry and his experiences. The Daily Prophet had not been kind to his or Dumbledore's claims of You-Know-Who being back. For students with magical parents, like Seamus Finnegan, they had nearly not been sent back because of the contrary being said by the news. Though one should think that there was some political aspect to how the paper operates.

Even though her mother came from a magical background, Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher didn't bother themselves with magical news. They figured if anything interesting was occurring, they'd receive a letter or it would be discussed over supper. That wasn't the case with Cedric's death. Her sisters were so distraught when they returned home that the topic of him or anything surrounding his death was left unsaid. So her parents were unaware of You-Know-Who's return, leaving their children to make their own decisions on the matter.

"Look, if you're just here to ask about Cedric, you can leave." Harry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Many students looked around to see if anyone would but no one moved.

"Is it true you produced a Patronus?" Luna Lovegood asked dreamily.

"Yes, I did."

"And last year he really did fight off You-Know-Who." Ron added, looking at his friend with pride.

"Alright, well if we're all agreed that we deserve better instruction, please sign your name on the paper. We will let you know where and when we will meet next." Hermione instructed and students got up into the line to sign.

Acacia lingered in the back, waving kindly to Neville as he passed her on the way out. As the line shortened, the girl took the last place in line and patiently waited for her turn. As she took the quill from a smirking Ron, she couldn't help but notice the looks Hermione and harry were sending to each other n her peripheral. She neatly signed her name at the bottom of her list and gave back the quill.

"Bloody cool isn't it? I can't wait until we start meeting regularly." Ron asked the girl. Though as he rambled it seemed rhetorical. "The troll won't know what hit her. And when we graduate, we'll be ready to take Him down."

"Sure Ron." Acacia smiled, rolling her eyes. "I should check if my friends are still at the Three Broomsticks before you drop me off at their house."

"Ron, I thought you were coming with us to Honeydukes?" Harry asked, confused at the difference in commitment.

"We can do both. If Acacia's friends aren't at the Three Broomsticks then we can all go to Honeydukes before I bring her back." Ron said before leaning into his friends. "Also, her friends are scary. I want to keep my bones in one piece."

This brought a laugh from Acacia and Hermione. The quartet exited the hidden pub and made their way back into the populous village. Though it had calmed down from earlier, there was still a good amount of students left around. The group split up, Acacia and Ron heading to the more common pub while Harry and Hermione went to the sweet shop.

The new friends went into the pub wandered until they got to the back corner where her and her friends normally sat. She immediately noticed the table was now occupied by the worst trio of Slytherin students. Draco Malfoy, Cordelia Barclay and Gregory Goyle.

"Oh look Draco, Isadora's little friend is here." Cordelia directed her friends attention to the new patrons.

"On a date now Weaselby?" Draco laughed. "I'm surprised, didn't think you could do worse than the mudblood. Going for the lousey squib too?"

"You're right Draco." Cordelia snickered. "I'm surprised she's interested in anything with a heartbeat. Being Branches and all, I thought she'd marry a Tentacula."

"Well, the Weasleys are the scum of the purebloods. It's next to dirt which Branches must like." Draco replied, earning a laugh from Goyle and Cordelia.

Acacia could feel the tears pooling below her eyelids but she pushed through and gave her meanest sneer. Without her friends here to help defend her and Ron staying silent, she had to do it herself.

"So what if we are on a date Malfoy?" She started shakily. Seeing only a slightly amused look from the crowd in front of her, she went deeper. "At least Ron is his own person who doesn't go running to his daddy every time someone says something rude. Also, Cordelia, how are you surviving now that your father's cut down your spending allowance to zero after your pregnancy scare this summer."

"My father will hear-"

"Isadora told you? That tw-"

Acacia quickly grabbed Ron's wrist and led them outside the pub and around the corner, out of the busy path. Her heart was racing but she could help to feel dirty and upset. She hated when Isadora would do that to someone, whether in front of her or not. Airing out others dirty laundry like that made her sick to her stomach. Her Hufflepuff core was resenting her actions as she leaned against the stone building and slid down to sit down on the frosty ground.

"Merlin Acacia, I didn't know you could do that. That was-." Ron started, mouth agape but was promptly shut up by Acacia's heaving.

The combinations of guilt, self hatred, and Butterbeer with a shot of Firewhiskey on an empty stomach was not doing the girl well. Ron quickly knelt down next to the girl and gently rubbed small circles against her back while holding back the end of her long, dark ponytail.

"They deserved it. They're nothing but awful to everyone." Ron told the girl soothingly. "Also, it was kind of wicked."

"Not the good kind of wicked." She sighed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. With a heavy head she leaned back against the wall, relaxing for a moment. In that moment, her body came back to itself. She felt the wetness of her jeans from the snow and the wind against her face, making her teeth begin to chatter.

"We should go meet up with Harry and Hermione to let them know I'm taking you back, you look exhausted." Ron said and removed his hand from her back before going to stand. Acacia quickly caught his wrist, making him turn to face her, his look sympathetic to her.

"Just give me a second." She asked, closing her eyes to catch her breath.

The boy obliged and sat back down, slipping his hand behind her and continuing with the small circles on her back. Acacia was tempted to lean against the boy, getting that physical satisfaction form his comforting but it was too much too soon. After a few moments, she nodded and the two stood up and headed towards Honeydukes where Harry and Hermione we're waiting outside.

"What took you two so long?" Hermione asked pointedly.

"Malfoy." Ron gritted and Harry shook his head in disapproval. "Anyway, let's get back. I feel like if we take to long I might get jinxed."

The group walk up to the castle, Harry and Hermione in the lead while Ron and Acacia hung back. She was still a little frozen from the cold weather so she buried herself as deep as she could into her jacket. Ron couldn't help but notice the small shivers from the girl and was tempted to offer her some warmth by bringing her closer or giving her his jacket but he was scared the gesture would scare her away.

He felt like his deal was working well, he had learned as much as he could over the last month. How she liked the red jelly slugs the most, that she liked to walk close to the wall rather than down the middle so she could run her fingers against the stone, how when she would truly laugh it was roaring and her eyes would crinkle. But the Acacia he had just witnessed was new, he had assumed she would've just backed down without a reply but he was proved wrong. Honestly, it was kind of hot but he would never tell her that.

Once the group entered the warmth of the stone walls, Ron ushered Acacia down to the dungeons and promptly knocked on the place where he's seen other Slytherin students enter. The space before them whipped open and Isadora stood on the other side.

"Merlin, what did you do to her?" Isadora gasped at her friends chilly appearance. She reached across to Acacia and pulled her across the threshold, taking her into a warm hug.

"I didn't do anything I-." Ron stuttered but Isadora interrupted him by raising her hand up to his face.

"I don't want to hear it. I'll take care of her now. Your bones stay intact for another day." Isadora told him, her tone a mix of disappointment and approval.

"I'll see you at the Great Hall for duty tonight?" Ron asked the small brunette.

"Yeah." She nodded, her eyes tired from their excursion. "I'll see you."

Isadora promptly closed the door in Ron's face, not allowing a response. She ushered her friend to the sofa next to the roaring fireplace and threw large, expensive looking fur blankets over her. She left the girl for a moment to get some tea and while she was gone, Blaise and Theo came down from their dormitory.

"Look who's finally back!" Theo exclaimed as he sat next to her. "Why are you all bundled up? Are you cold?"

"Probably shagged Ron outside and got cold from the snow." Blaise joked, earning a deathly glare from Acacia. "Or maybe not, never mind."

Isadora came back with two cups and a teapot, pipping hot with tea. She set down the two cups of the coffee table and poured some into each glass, handing one to Acacia.

"Do you know what happened?" Theo asked as he slug an arm around his girlfriend.

"Not yet." Isadora said plainly and turned to the bundled friend who was blowing gently at the hot liquid. "Out with it you. What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Acacia mumbled, sipping her tea. "I'm going to need to go back to my room for a nap and change of clothes before duty tonight."

"Well you're not going anywhere until you explain why Weaselby returned you looking like death." Isadora argued. The two held each other's stares, hoping the other would break first so they could get their way. In the end, Isadora won.

"When I was finishing up with Ron and his friends, I went back to the Three Broomsticks to see if you were there. You weren't, but your stepsister and her friends were." Acacia sighed, continuing on. "They were just being awful to me and Ron and since you weren't there and I wasn't about to let him stand up for me, I did it myself."

"No you didn't." Blaise gasped, a smirk on his lips beneath his hand.

"I may have called Draco out for always relying on his father for everything and brought up Cordelia's lack of spending money then ran out. Everything hit me at once when we were in private and I gagged, legitimately. Hence why I look like death."

"Aw, our baby is all grown up." Isadora cooed and got up from her spot next to Theo and embraced her friend tightly. "I'm so proud of you. I'll let you nap in my room and I'll wake you before your duty."

"Thank you." Acacia smiled slightly and emerged from the thick blankets, heading upstairs. After such a draining experience, Acacia needed three days of rest to get over it, but a few hours would do for now.


	5. Not A Lot Of Nargles

It was late Sunday evening when Ron found Acacia leaving the library with Isadora. The two friends had just left from studying for an upcoming transfiguration quiz and were laughing about something. Ron wasn't expecting her to be alone, but he was hoping so. Acacia smiled at the boy as he approached while Isadora went stone-faced. The two rival students hadn't seen each other since Acacia was returned pale as death.

"Hi Ron, can I help you?" Acacia asked as the boy looked between her and Isadora then back to her.

"Um, yeah. I was hoping you could help me with," Ron stumbled on his words, earning a worsening glare from the coily haired witch. "Herbology. I'm really struggling with the uh, Herbivicus charm. It either works too well or not at all."

"You really need help with a simple charm?" Isadora scoffed.

"It's fine." Acacia scolded her friend before turning to Ron. "We can go to the greenhouse to practice. I'll see you at breakfast Izzy."

"Mhm. Night." Isadora replied with attitude and headed down towards the dungeon while Ron and Acacia headed towards the greenhouse. Just as they approach the split to go towards the Herbology classrooms, Ron takes the girl's arm and pulled them in the other direction until they land before a set of grand doors. Inside the room, is all the other students that were at the Hogs Head Inn. The room was lined with mirrors, a fireplace and dummies on wheels for practice.

"What is this place?" Acacia whispered to Ron, who had a childish grin on his face.

"Room of requirement. Dobby showed it to Harry. Hermione gave the history lesson already. Basically, it comes to those who need it with whatever they need. Wicked innit?" Ron replied as they joined the group. 

"Expelliarmus? That's child play, Potter." Zacharias scoffed at Harry's idea for their first session.

"Well, then I guess child's play helped me in my fight again Voldemort in the graveyard." Harry retorted, gushing the group. "Now if we don't have any other protests, pair up and get to practicing."

"Acacia, partners?" A voice asked making the girl turn to face the source. Ernie Macmillan stood afoot to her left, his everlasting smile on his face.

"Sure." She replied as most of the group had already paired off.

The two practiced, going back and forth in disarming each other. Harry was focused on the younger students, ensuring they were able to master the spell, like the older students. After five minutes, Ernie had disarmed her seven times while she had disarmed him 10 times. Harry called for them to switch and Acacia found herself paired with a sixth-year Ravenclaw girl named Marietta. The girl was straight to the punch, obviously not in a good mood from the tattered, smoking robe sleeve she was frowning at.

The two went back and forth, the Ravenclaw girl was quick and didn't give Acacia much chance to recuperate before hitting her again. After about seven minutes, Marietta had disarmed her 17 times while she had only gotten her 7 times. Acacia got so frustrated at the end, she just flicked her wand to stop it. Marietta looked at her partner in surprise before running over to her excitedly.

"What's going on?" Cho Change asked as she approached the duo.

"Acacia just did wordless magic!" Marietta exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

"Honestly," Acacia laughed, sort of in shock. "I just got frustrated with how fast you were disarming me and just wanted it to be over."

"That's fair," Marietta replied. "Cho caught my robes on fire and I was kind of taking it out on you."

The group finished for the night and exited in small groups as to not get caught. Acacia left with Luna, Ginny and Neville, stopping at the Ravenclaw tower first before continuing towards Gryffindor.

"So you're the puff my brother's always talking about." Ginny smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Acacia asked.

"Ron's just really into that deal of yours." Neville explained. "And you making it tough had him going a bit."

"Yeah, he came to Hermione and me for advice." Ginny added. "I don't think I've seen my brother try this hard at anything."

"Wow." Acacia was surprised. It was just a silly bet, she didn't think he would actually try so hard with it all. "It's really sweet he's trying so hard to be my friend."

"Yeah, your friend." Neville whispered to the youngest Weasley while she rolled her eyes.

Somehow Acacia was oblivious to Ginny and Neville's source of laughter yet joined in in the happiness. The group split off when they reached the grand stairs, Ginny and Neville waving Acacia good night as she went down to the Barrels. She entered the warm round room and went straight up into her room, feeling exhausted from her long day. She changed out of her robes and into one of her dad's old rugby sweaters and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

-

The next DA meeting was Wednesday evening after supper. Hermione had charmed some coins to give messages to everyone in the DA about when to meet. She had gotten the message just before supper and luckily between Blair and Theo being on the Inquisitorial Squad and Isadora taking Charms tutoring, she could easily go. Acacia met up with Ginny and Neville outside the Great Hall and they wandered a bit before heading towards the club room. Once inside, they chatted while waiting for the rest of them.

"Two weeks until your match with Slytherin," Acacia said to Ginny casually. "How's the training going?"

"Well, if everyone would stop getting detention, then running practice would be easier." Ginny sighed. "That woman is barbaric. I swear Harry won't be able to grab the snitch without ripping open the scar on his hand."

"I don't know how she gets away with it." Neville muttered. "I think she's one of them."

"A troll?" Ginny asked but Acacia knew what Neville meant. After a few years of hanging out in the greenhouses, she had learned about Neville's past.

"I think you're right. Which is not a good turn for Hogwarts to be making." Acacia replied, giving the boy's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Alright, today we're working on the Stunning Spell," Harry announced as the room had finally filled with everyone. "Pair up and we'll take turns."

Ginny took Acacia's wrist and led them to the sidelines. The students lined up on either side of the room. Nigel, being the youngest got paired with Harry. He let him go first but the kid seemed nervous. With some encouragement from the group, he raised his wand.

"Stupefy!" He exclaimed nervously. He sent Harry flying back, and him as well. The students cheered and while they brushed themselves off and Ron and Hermione stepped up.

"I bet Hermione will get him first." Acacia whispered to Ginny who giggled and nodded in response.

"Looks like Fred and George are taking that bet too." Ginny noted and gestured to the Twins on the other side of the room who were whispering to each other.

Ron and Hermione both got into dueling stances, wand at the ready. Ron barely got half the spell out before Hermione and he was sent flying back. All the girls ran over to congratulate Hermione. But Acacia couldn't help but look over at Ron, who seemed slightly embarrassed. The two made eye contact and she gave him a small thumbs up in sympathy.

Eventually, the crowd of girls moved back to the sidelines and allowed more groups to duel. Everyone was fairly encouraging whether you succeeded or not. After a few groups, Ginny pulled Acacia into the middle and they stood at opposite ends. Acacia knew Ginny was quick and confident, so she really wanted to beat her to the punch. Wand at the ready, she quickly flicked it at the red-haired girl.

"Stupefy!" Acacia exclaimed before Ginny could and sent the girl back.

She felt bad, knowing it had to hurt but she was prideful in herself. Acacia walked over and gave Ginny a hand up and they went back to the sidelines to watch the rest of the groups. She saw Ron across the way and he shot her a smile in approval of her skills. At the end of the night, she left with her usual group or Neville, Luna and Ginny, waving goodbye to the golden trio on their way out.

"You did really well today Acacia." Luna complimented the girl. "You should keep practicing your wordless magic though."

"You can do wordless magic?" Neville marveled.

"It was a one-time thing, Marietta was taking the piss at me." Acacia shrugged.

"Well, you don't have many nargles so I think it's likely not a one-time thing. Trust me." Luna replied as she headed towards her commons. The three waves the blonde goodbye and continued like normal.

"If you really can do wordless magic," Ginny pressed. "You should tell Harry. It could be helpful."

"I don't think Harry can do wordless magic, none the less help me with it." Acacia sighed.

"Well, he could probably get Dumbledore to help." Neville suggested. "He's the greatest wizard of our time."

"Maybe. I'm too tired to wait up for him though. I'll ask at the next meeting. Good night." Acacia told her friends as she started down the stairs.

The friends bug her good night and she went back to the barrels. Though every DA meeting left her giddy with hope and excitement, she was not used to the magic usage. Umbridge's practical approach left her feeling sluggish after a simple meeting unlike the year previous where it would've left her invigorated. Like every night, she threw off her robes and tossed in her dad's hoodie before heading off to dreamland.

-

The next morning at breakfast with her best friends, Acacia sat quietly. Her dream from last night was incredibly vivid despite her better wishes and for once she was glad about rule number three. The four sat silently while munching on their breakfast before heading off to class. Isadora and Acacia had their transfiguration quiz first thing and Acacia could feel the nerves radiating off her friend but she didn't say anything, too scared everything would come flying out.

They got through the quiz and went through their day with peace. Acacia made small talk with the people she sat with and other Hufflepuffs she ran into through her day but remained quiet around her trio of Slytherins. Luckily, they could talk enough for her. Apparently, Blaise and Theo were on duty for Inquisitorial Squad the night before and it had been relatively uneventful.

"I don't how you two are on that dictator squad." Isadora scolded. "It's just a power trip for your growing God complexes. Acacia earned her role through being a good student, you two just got shiny little medals from a troll."

"At least we don't have to worry about detention or getting caught after hours anymore." Blaise shrugged

"You've benefited from that last one too love." Theo winked, earning fake gagging noises from Blaise and Acacia.

"Well until you're done with that squad, you're getting none of this." Isadora said and swiped her finger through his whip cream on top of his ice cream. She seductively made eye contact with her boyfriend as she placed her cream-covered finger on her tongue and sucked the sweetness off.

"Merlin Isadora," Theo grunted while Blaise facepalmed. "I can't just quit now but lord knows I would right now so I could take you right here."

"It's supper! There are other people around who can hear you!" Acacia groaned. "Stop with this now. It's too much for a Thursday."

"Prude." Theo teased and Acacia flipped him off.

"Well, you better get used to Blaise keeping you company. Because you aren't getting any of this." Isadora told the boy, gesturing suggestively before grabbing Acacia's arm and excusing the two from the table.

The two friends ran out of the Great Hall hand in hand and through the castle until they found themselves outside. The two had wandered to the smoking spot on campus, a small corner next to the gas release for the greenhouses. The spot was always warm no matter the season and hidden away. Isadora pulled the metal tin from her robe pocket and lit a dart with a minor version of the Incendio spell. She offered one to her friend who denied it as usual. The two stood there in silence for a while, taking in the snowscape before them.

"So how was helping Ron the other night?" Isadora hissed as she flicked the ash off the end of the cigarette.

"Fine. He needed some help with plant theory but it wasn't awful. He could be quite smart if he applied himself." Acacia replied.

"The only thing he wants to apply himself to is you." Isadora joked.

"We're trying to be friends." She stressed. "That's it."

"If you say so." She replied in a sing-song voice. "No boy tries that hard to just be friends."

"Maybe for you Izzy." Acacia teased back. "But I'm perfectly fine with Ron and I being friends."

"Good, because you could do much better." Isadora replied and threw the dart to the ground to snuff it out. "And I don't say that to be mean. I just think you deserve the best."

Isadora pulled out another dart and Acacia flicked her wand, lighting it. The girl took a long haul to keep it lit before quickly blowing out the smoke.

"How did you do that? I didn't hear you say anything." Isadora asked in shock.

"Don't have a lot of nargles."


	6. Error: Friends Not Found

Nearly a month of DA lessons had passed and Acacia felt more confident than ever. Defense against the Dark arts was never her strong suit and wasn't necessary for being a Healer but her siblings insisted she kept her options open. Through the lessons, Acacia was starting to consider being an Auror more than before. She had not only grown more confident but had also grown closer to many of the students in the group. Ginny and Luna were now very close with the girl and the three of them with Neville would hang out outside of lessons.

She would often spend time with her trio of Slytherin students, but Theo and Blaise were growing insufferable with their position on the Inquisitorial Squad. Suspicions around the existence of the DA were growing and Acacia's closeness to her Gryffindor friend was often a topic of conversation. The four of them were hanging out in the Slytherin commons before Acacia's duty shift.

"Can you do me a favor tonight Acacia?" Blaise asked her sweetly from his spot on the couch next to her.

"If it's what I think it is, no." Acacia sighed.

"We just need you to talk to Ron for us," Theo explained. "The squad is really suspiciously him and his little friends."

"No way am I spying on him for you two and your goonies!" She protested.

"It's the least you could do. You've been blowing us off for those losers." Blaise retorted. Acacia looked to Isadora for help, the two girls feeling mutual about the boys' positions on the squad.

"If you don't do it, they'll make me spy on you." Isadora groaned. "They're worried you're turning into one of them."

"One of them?"

"Yeah, they're turning you into someone you're not." Blaise claimed.

"That's really funny." Acacia replied sarcastically.

"How is that funny? I'm worried about you Casey." Isadora sat up from her position on Theo's lap. Acacia rolled her eyes at her friends and collected her things from the coffee table. "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving because I don't know where my friends went. I don't recognize any of you." Acacia fumed and left the dim commons, ignoring her friends calling after her.

Acacia didn't remember getting back to the Barrels or getting back to her room. She threw her things to the ground and collapsed onto her bed, tears falling quickly out of her eyes. She laid there in her crumpled mess, completely upset about how things had gone from so great so horrible in a blink of an eye. She heard someone come into the room and even though she shared with two other girls, she just wanted to be alone so she threw a pillow toward the noise. Whoever it was quickly retreated and left the girl alone. It wasn't for long as only a few minutes later, two sets of footfalls entered the room.

"Acacia?" The two voices asked nervously, causing Acacia to look up from her puddle of sadness and see her sisters. Sadly, that only made her cry more.

"Case, what's happened?" Juniper asked, petting the petite girl's hair.

"Everything is just awful." Acacia groaned.

"Don't cry, you'll make me cry." Hazel joked tearily. "Why don't we clean you up and you tell us what's got you so upset."

"Let's do that. You have duty tonight don't you? Can't look like a weepy mess in front of the others." Juniper agreed and the twins hoisted their sister off her bed and toward her desk.

The twins got to work cleaning Acacia up while she told them about her argument with her friends and her frustrations with her two separate friend groups. Her sisters offered their sage advice but she knew she had to figure it out on her own. They had never struggled with having friends, gathering their own friend groups that they held together like glue.

-

Eventually, the girls left their sister alone to change. Acacia begrudgingly changed out of her messy dress shirt and changed into a fresh one and threw a sweater vest over it in an attempt to be comfy. She grabbed her pin off her dresser and attached it as she made her way down to the Great Hall. She plastered on the biggest smile she could and entered the large room to greet Ron, who had a matching smile on.

"We've got the towers again this week." He told the girl, showing the piece of paper in his hand. "You ready to get going?"

"Totally!" Acacia replied with pep.

The two wandered up to their duty area and did their usual round. While the classrooms and Ravenclaw tower were quiet, there was a buzz coming from Gryffindor. Music could be heard playing through the portrait that guarded the house.

She gave her partner a questioning look who replied with a cheeky grin and began to ramble about the next day's Quidditch game. It was Gryffindor versus Slytherin and the house rivalry would make the game all the better. She tuned the boy out as she had learned to do with Juniper, who also enjoyed rambling about the same subject.

They wandered back to the Great Hall, their usual hang out spot for in-between duty rounds. Ron pulled a baggie of assorted sweets and the two shared as Ron continued to ramble. She nodded absentmindedly to whatever comments he made and she just watched as he spoke. The way he spoke about Quidditch and his friends always intrigued the girl. There was such pride, ferocity even in his voice. The way he leaned in and gestured with his hands to explain whatever he talked about. Something about it just kept her entertained without hearing him.

"So, will you be wearing green or red tomorrow?" Ron asked her, his demeanor changing slightly in anticipation of her answer.

"Oh," Acacia stuttered, being pulled out of her daydream. "I wasn't really sure if I was going to dress up tomorrow. Hufflepuff likes to stay neutral."

"Well as my friend, you're wearing red." Ron replied confidently. "I'm sure Ginny could loan you something if you don't have anything."

"We'll see, yeah." She replied halfheartedly and stood from the table. "Let's do another round."

Ron brushed off the girl's odd attitude and followed her for the round. He continued to ramble on about quidditch but like before, she wasn't fully listening. He used the opportunity to watch her as she walked, noticing the change in posture, the melody of her voice more a ballad and how she rubbed the pads of her fingertips together. Ron waved hello to the few Gryffindors who stuck their head out as they passed but kept his eye on the girl.

"Candy for your thoughts?" He asked Acacia when they finally returned to the Great Hall. He pushed the baggie of candy towards her.

"I'm okay thanks." Acacia replied politely, not taking a candy.

"Okay so something is seriously wrong, you can tell me." He probed.

"If I tell you, you'll get mad and I don't want that."

"I promise I won't get mad then."

"Pinky promise?" Acacia asked and extended her pinky.

"Sure." He shrugged and wrapped his pinky around hers.

"Isadora, Blaise and Theo got mad that I've been hanging out around you guys. They were saying I've changed. Not only that, but they asked if I'd spy on you guys for the Inquisitorial Squad. They're getting suspicious of the DA I think." She sighed. She could see Ron visibly getting angry but calmed down when she looked away from him.

"I'm sorry Acacia, they should've been more supportive. I don't understand how you're friends with those snakes. You shouldn't have been put in this position and you shouldn't be treated this way." He replied, anger lacing his words despite his calmer exterior. "If you want, you could stay with Mione or Gin tonight if you don't want to be alone. And you can take part in all the Gryffindor festivities tomorrow, Roger and Ella gave us tomorrow night off for the game."

"That would actually be really nice Ron. Maybe we can stop in on our next round." Acacia smiled slightly. She wasn't sure if being around her brave friends would help in this situation but she didn't want to go back and face Hannah or Gemma, her roommates, after her little scene earlier.

"Sounds good. We can make a detour to the Barrels on our last round to get your things." Ron added.

Acacia smiled kindly at the boy and reached across the table and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him through her eyelashes and felt a blush climbing up her back but she ignored it. Though they had been trying to be friends for three months now, it wasn't until then that they truly were.

"Well let's um, get going." Acacia replied and the two did their round in comfortable silence. 

Ron popped into the common room looking for Ginny or Hermione, leaving his friend outside. After a few minutes, he popped back out with Ginny in tow who greeted the girl with a hug. She happily informed Acacia she could stay with her and was excited for her to be in the tower for game day. The two continued on their round, slipping down to the basement where Hufflepuff was located. acacia let Ron into the common room to wait for her as she dashed upstairs to her room.

Once in her room, she grabbed the essentials for her normal day. She threw her dad's hoodie and some pyjama shorts into her bag along with a toothbrush, hairbrush and her school clothes. She searched desperately for something red but the only things she could find were some fuzzy socks, a scrunchie and her brother's old Guns and Roses t-shirt. She tossed the scrunchie in her bag and grabbed her books before heading down to meet Ron. He took the books from her and helped her carry them up to the tower. 

Ron let them into Gryffindor, and Acacia paused to take in the room. It was a round room that was decorated with tapestries and shades of red. There was a large hearth with a billowing fire, keeping the room warm, similarly to Hufflepuff. The furniture was just comfortable to look at, the plush fabrics and leathers calling for you to sink into. Tables were covered with books and knick-knacks, multiple bookshelves fit into the room with layers of books she was sure Hermione had nearly all read. 

Ginny was waiting for them by the fire, curled up nearly half asleep under a lush red blanket. Once she had realized that the two had arrived and it was not a dream, she stretched awake and toddled over to her brother and friend. 

"We're up on the left, I don't share with Mione but you'll like them." Ginny told the girl as she took her books from Ron. "Night brother, see you in the morning for game day."

"Night Gin, Acacia." Ron replied and headed up the staircase to his own dorms. Ginny and Acacia followed him up and split off to the left and entered the room marked for Fourth-year girls. When they entered, three other girls were getting ready for bed. 

"Girls, this is Acacia Fletcher. Acacia, meet Lucy Hurst, Mary Doyle and Natalie Fairbourne." Ginny introduced and the girls happily greeted the Hufflepuff. 

Lucy was a slender blonde with thick glasses that made her blue eyes look like swimming pools. Mary was small and meek with mousey brown hair and Natalie was the tallest with her dark hair pulled back into an elegant bun and narrow green eyes. They chatted with Ginny while Acacia slipped out to the bathroom to get ready for bed. She reentered the room with her hair in a messy bun and her dad's hoodie, which sparked Mary's sleepy eyes awake.

"Are you Muggleborn as well?" Mary asked the girl as she passed by on her way to Ginny's bed. 

"No, my dad's a Muggle though," Acacia replied. "My mom's a squib so I still come from magic."

"Well, that's debated." Natalie inquired. "How many generations did your magic pass?"

"Two," Acacia replied. "But my mom and her family were still in the wizarding world."

"Does it matter how many generations pass? She's still a witch Natalie." Ginny retorted, defending her friend.

"Well, if your mom's non-magical and so is your dad, that would technically make you Muggleborn." Natalie quipped.

"Ugh enough with the politics!" Lucy piped up, removing her eye mask. "As Ginny said, she's still a witch no matter her stupid blood Natalie. can we all just go to bed? It's game day tomorrow and Ginny needs her rest if we're gonna win against Slytherin."

Natalie huffed and rolled away from her roommates to face the door and someone muttered a spell for the lights to go out and she tucked herself in, letting Natalie's comments slip in as well. She lay awake for a while, thinking hard on the idea. It wasn't a bad thing to be a muggle-born, she didn't mind if she was. But her mom always talked about her aunts that had magic when she was younger which made Acacia consider herself a half-blood. With the changing landscape of the wizarding world, it was showing to be safer to be of magic blood.

"Acacia, go to bed. Natalie was just being a bitch." Ginny slurred sleepily.

"I'm just thinking. I can come back if I'm keeping you up." Acacia whispered back.

"It's fine, just go to bed." Ginny replied and rolled over, pulling the blankets up to her chin. 

Acacia waited for her friend's light snores to start up again to slip out of the bed and padded into the cozy common room. It reminded her of her own, just a bit dimmer. She plucked a book of a side table and slipped under the blanket that Ginny had used. She realized the book was Hogwarts: A History and immediately closed the book. It reminded her of Isadora too much and so she picked a different book. She read the new one with no attention to what it was. Suddenly, she felt the sofa sink next to her and she looked up to see Ron.

"Why aren't you asleep? You have a big game tomorrow!" Acacia scolded the boy. 

"My nerves are really bad. I couldn't sleep." Ron sighed. "What's your excuse."

"Ginny snores." Acacia joked, telling half of the truth.

"That's fair, what're you reading." He asked, peering over her shoulder.

"Quidditch Through the Ages apparently." She replied and the boy quickly took the book from her.

"It's my favourite, this is my favourite section." Ron said and flipped through the book to the proper part.

He read the section aloud, letting Acacia listen to him. Rereading the section reminded him of his love of the game and why he wanted to play in the first place. The girl pulled herself up to lean over the boy's shoulder to read it herself. He sped through the part he liked and continued through the rest of the book. Slowly, the girl fell asleep, letting her head fall onto his shoulder. He blushed hard but continued reading, afraid to wake the girl. Slowly, the sandman sprinkled his dust over the boy's eyes and he fell asleep on the couch as well.

-

Ginny woke up early in the morning to an empty bed. While her roommates still slept, she slinked down to the common room to discover her friend and sibling asleep on the couch. Acacia laid atop Ron, her head nuzzled under his chin. Ron had an arm strung around her back, keeping her from rolling off the couch. Ginny carefully tiptoed over to the couch and nudged her friend awake. Acacia looked around sleepily before her eyes blasted wide in the realization of where she was. Ginny pressed a finger to her lips and motioned for her to get up. Once out of Ron's grasp, the two girls sped up to Ginny's room and slipped back under the covers until the rest of the house woke up and began game-day preparations.


	7. Knight In Shining Armor

The morning of the big quidditch match, while everyone excitedly discussed the possibilities of the game, Acacia had her mind on something else. She didn't remember falling asleep last night, and she wasn't sure how she had ended up on top of Ron. She knew they were close but it was different than with Theo and Blaise. If it were Theo, he would've carried her up to bed or woken her up while Blaise would've left her alone on the couch. But that's another difference to add to her ever long list of what set Ron apart from her friends.

She was nudged from her thoughts by Ginny who sat next to her at the Gryffindor table at breakfast. The toast in her hand fell from surprise as she turned to her friend.

"So we've got to talk about two things," Ginny told her. "One, how you and my brother for all cozy in the couch last night and two, why your scaly friends are staring you down."

Acacia turned her attention toward the farthest table to see Blaise and Isadora staring at her coldly. She sighed and turned back to the youngest Weasley, not giving the reaction her friends may have wanted.

"They're still mad at me. Normally, the hood a good grudge until one of us breaks, normally me." She answered. "And we're not going to talk about this morning. It never happened."

"If you say so." Ginny giggled and the two got back to their breakfast and rejoined the surrounding.

Unbeknownst to the two friends, Ron was listening in to their conversation from a few seats down. He had remembered falling asleep and woke up alone. He had panicked for a moment when Fred and George woke him up with some Exploding Snaps, concerned that he and Acacia were found out. Part of him was relieved that she wasn't there, but the other part of him disagreed. He had grown a lot closer to the girl that he was willing to admit, recognizing teenage hormones probably played a part but also his heart. The little puff had climbed in and begun to make a home in the space between his ribs, and he didn't mind if it stayed there.

Classes passed by in a blur. The excitement of the upcoming game got professors in a good mood, most of them letting out early and forgoing homework. The Slytherin's were in a different sort of excitement as most of them bore 'Weasley Is Our King' pins and smiled at each other a little too friendly. Acacia stuck by her Gryffindor friends and Luna most of the day, sporting the red scrunchie and some red and gold face paint. Ginny had offered her to wear one of her spare jerseys but she decided to stick with her uniform until supper.

The two met up outside the common room before heading inside for Acacia to change. Ginny was a reserve for the team so even though there was a slim chance she would play, just being on the team was enough. Ginny riffled through her trunk and pulled out a short sleeve jersey in the Gryffindor colours with a 2 emblazed on the front. Acacia took it and threw it on for supper but made a mental note to go toss a long sleeve sweater underneath for the cold weather outside.

Supper had been pushed up as normal to accommodate the game later so the two quickly left to join their friends at the Great Hall. Though the table was crowded, they slipped in between Seamus and Neville.

"Nice jersey there Hufflepuff." Seamus complimented the girl next to him. "Yer supporting our boy Ron?"

"I'm supporting everyone." Acacia replied, ignoring the Ron comment.

"But yer wearing his number." Seamus told her and a furious blush swept up her neck as she turned to Ginny.

"You did this on purpose didn't you!" She whispered angrily at the girl.

"You're welcome." Ginny winked and grabbed the salt from the table.

Acacia tried her best to hide the number in the middle of her chest for the rest of supper. She kept one arm folded in front of her chest while she ate and avoided answering any questions as to why she was wearing his number. Supper was filling and joyous as many students passed, giving encouragement to the different players scattered around the table.

She watched Ron suddenly stand and leave after Luna in her large lions head came by to talk to the trio. Acacia knew she shouldn't go after him but when she saw Harry and Hermione stay to chat with the girl, she got up and followed him out.

Ron left the Great Hall, feeling sick and dizzy. It wouldn't have been so if the first match was against Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw but he knew what the Slytherin team was capable of after watching them for years. He went out the the courtyard and felt some relief as the cold air hit his lungs. He leaved against one of the stone half walls for support as thoughts rushed his head.

He heard the crunch of the frozen ground as someone approached and he looked up to see Acacia. She had her arms wrapped tightly around her chest to keep her warm in her short sleeve shirt and a kind smile on her face.

"Are you alright?" Shee asked him, leaning against the wall on the left.

"Just a bit nervous is all." He replied. "Why'd you follow me out?"

"Well it didn't seem Hermione or Harry was going to so I thought I would. You know, trying to be friends and all."

"Thanks, I just feel so stupid for being worried. Ginny's not worried and she's not even playing. And of course Harry doesn't get nervous. He's Harry freaking Potter."

"And you're Ron freaking Weasley. What's the big deal?"

"It's just," Ron started, frustrated with finding the right words. "Charlie was captain, Fred and George are staring beaters, Ginny's made the team her first try and I'm just getting on now and destined to muck things up."

"Oh Ron." Acacia sighed and hugged the boy tightly. "It's normal to be nervous for your first match. And you don't need to be like Charlie or the twins or Ginny, you're perfectly fine as yourself. Take it from a fellow muck up."

Ron sighed and hugged the girl back, fidgeting a bit at the contact.

"How do you always know what to say?" He chuckled lightly.

"Not always, just when it matters." She replied and broke from the hug.

"Well, I better go meet up with the team and head down to the pitch."

"That might be a good idea." She joked and walk with him back towards the Great Hall and paused before the reached inside the doors. She placed a hand on his shoulder as she went up on her toes to place a quick peck on his cheek.

"What-" Ron blushed confused. "What was that for?"

"For good luck." She winked and headed down towards the Barrels.

She hoped no one had seen her little stunt with Ron as she had already drawn enough attention by wearing his number. She went quickly up to her room and was glad to find it empty. Her uniform she had worn for her sleepover was just a normal dress shirt and skirt since the charms within the schools could keep it warm well into the winter. She chose a warm pair of wool socks, black jeans and a black turtleneck to wear under the jersey. Acacia charmed a pair of fuzzy ear muffs to turn red, which just resulted in them turning a coral colour. She attempted it once more and got the red colour she wanted. On her way back out she grabbed her coat and headed down to the quidditch pitch.

She headed up into the Gryffindor stands and immediately found Luna and Neville. She made her way over to them as the game began. The crowd cheered as the Gryffindor team flew into the stadium. Ginny remained in the wings, waiting in case she needed to be called into the game. Soon the game was afoot and the crowd watched in anticipation.

"And there goes Angelina Johnson with the quaffle. She's the Gryffindor captain and chaser! She's looking particularly lovely toda-" Lee Jordan announced, suddenly interrupted from what was most likely McGonagall. This brought a laugh from Acacia, enjoying the ever running fight between the two. "And Montague intercepts and carries the quaffle back towards the Gryffindor goals. This is Slytherin's first try at the new keeper, Ron Weasley."

Acacia cheered loudly with the crowd as Montague threw the ball at Ron who saved it just by a hair. She noticed the tension on his face break as he realized the save he had made and went back to the main post.

Though he saved the first one, Ron wasn't as lucky the rest of the game. Just as thing were looking bleak, Harry caught the snitch and brought the game to it's end. Though they had only scored a few points, the snitch was enough to with the game for the brave house. The team went to do it's normal celebratory sweep of the pitch but Ron dived out as the passed the lockers, leaving the group behind. Once back on the ground, the crowd began to disperse, most heading back to the castle to prepare for the impending party.

Neville and Acacia hung back, wearing their turn to leave and made their way towards the front of the stands. Neville went to leave but something caught Acacia's attention from the corner of her eye. Below, there seemed to be some sort of confrontation going on between the two teams with Draco in the lead. She watched as the twins attempted to charge at the boy but Fred was held back by the three chasers and Harry took a hold of George. Acacia looked over at Neville, who's face was in shock at the scene below them. When she looked back down, Draco had obviously said something and Harry and George both went after him and began to beat him to a pulp.

The scene passed so fast it was hard to comprehend. The two Gryffindors were pulled off and McGonagall attempted to punish them but Umbitch appeared out of no year and pointed a stern finger at Harry and the twins before turning on her kitten heel and leaving the pitch in a flurry of pink.

"Let's go see how they're doing." Neville prompted and the two friends ran down to meet up with the team as the went towards the locker room.

"Are you guys ok? We just saw what happened." Acacia asked the group. Harry and George stormed into the small hut, leaving Fred to answer.

"Us three just got banned from quidditch."

"What?" Neville and Acacia were dumbfounded.

"I didn't even get to do anything but Malfoy deserved it. Right lousy twat he is. Absolutely rubbish that they only get lines, it's unfair."

"You're right about that." Neville replied. "At least we still win, there'll be a party waiting for us now."

"You two run along." Fred smiled half heartedly. "We'll be up soon and ready to get plastered."

Acacia laughed a bit at the comment and the friends published, making their way up to the castle. She followed Neville up to the tower where the post-game party set up was underway. Acacia spotted Mary and Lucy, who quickly waved the Hufflepuff over. They snuck her up to their room where they revealed their stash of Mead and insisted she stay for the party. Her outfit was too warm to continue wearing in the warm tower, so the two younger girls got to work.

Mary curled Acacia's dark brown hair softly and did a subtle smoky eye with rose lip-gloss while Lucy worked in an outfit. Lucy decided she would keep in the jersey and paid it with a simple black pleated skirt and borrow an extra pair of slippers. The girls seemed much more relaxed after their last encounter since Natalie wasn't around. According to Mary, she was dating a Ravenclaw boy and often snuck away during games only to return the next morning.

After a nice chat, the music from downstairs began to drift up into the dormitory, calling for the girls to join the party. The three grabbed their drinks and headed down into the chaos. The Gryffindor team had just arrived and they were met with cheers as most did not witness the fight. It seemed as if Angelina had coached them on how to behave as even the three banned players had smiles on their faces. Ginny made a bee line to the friend and roommates, taking a shot of Firewhiskey before leading them towards the dance floor.

Acacia could wholeheartedly say that this party was one of the best she had attended at Hogwarts. She wasn't sure if it was the win or the surge of testosterone from the fight that lead to a more rowdy atmosphere, but whatever it was she was fine with. The music pumped loudly as the messy pit of bodies swayed and grinded to the music. Between the pre-drinks and Firewhiskey, Acacia had forgotten all her problems. She danced with her friends, sang at the top of her lungs and let herself feel free for the first time in a while.

The quartet broke from the crowd and made their way towards the refreshments table. They quickly refilled their drinks and headed back into the crowd. Just as her body hit the heat of the mosh pit, Acacia retreated from the group to catch her breath. She headed over to a small window ledge on the outskirts of the party and leaned her head against the cold glass. With her eyes shut, she let herself focus on her breathing.

"Hey there Puffect, what are you doing away from the party?" A twin approached her, leaning on the wall next to her.

"Just got a little warm, what're you doing?" She asked hoping it would reveal his identity.

"Set Georgie up with Katie Bell so I'm just watching my magic work."

"You didn't give her a love potion did you?"

"Merlin no, just was a good wing man for him. He was nervous that after the fight she would be scared since he got a few good hits at Malfoy."

"He deserved it." She slurred slightly, sipping her drink. "Plus it was kind of hot."

"What was hot?"

"The fight, Harry and George and You. As someone victimized by Malfoy and his cronies, it was gratifying. You guys were kind of like knights in shining armour."

"Well, would a knight in shining armor get a kiss?" He joked smoothly, leaning against his arm propped by her head.

"I don't know, who's the knight?" She smirked. Though this was possibly her third ever interaction with the boy, the liquid courage was helping with the nerves.

"Well he's tall, well built and very funny."

"I though you said you set George up with Katie Bell?"

"She has jokes too."

Just as fast as her wit, Fred tilted Acacia's chin up with his hand and their lips met. The kiss was hot, the two only pausing for a moment of realization. His hand slid up her jawline to cup her cheek, drawing her in deeper. She fumbled to set her drink on the window ledge as her arms snaked up his chest to wrap around his neck naturally. She could feel every muscle as her hands skimmed his shirt, his abs hard and defined from years of quidditch practice. The thought of him shirtless, sweaty after training have her butterflies, sending a warmth throughout her body.

Virtually pinned against the wall, Fred's spare hand slipped behind her back and got dangerously low. He pulled her closer to him and their hips met. She could feel something warm press against her hips and rolled gently against it. Fred groaned softly against her lips, sending the warmth plummeting to the pit of her stomach. His tongue lapped cautiously against her bottom lip before pushing his way in. As her lips parted, their two tongues swirled together in harmony. Her fingers laced themselves within his hair, pulling on the strands in pleasure. His lips slowly left hers, peppering small kisses against her jawline before heading to the soft spot below her ear. As he sucked on the small spot, Acacia couldn't help but let the tiniest of moans slip from her lips.

The moment would've almost been worth it if it weren't for when she opened her eyes, there was a person staring at her. And that person was Ron Weasley.


	8. What Are Friends For?

After the incident with Ron catching her and Fred in a drunken mistake, Acacia quickly excused herself and headed down to the barrels. Filled with confused feelings, she slipped into her sisters room for some advice. Luckily, the two were still up. Juniper and Heidi Macavoy, her fellow Hufflepuff chaser, were chatting eagerly over the results of the quidditch match while Hazel painted her toes a shade of coral. The older twin noticed her first, patting the space on the bed next to her for her to sit.

"What's the matter now Case?" Hazel asked.

"I just can't stop making things worse for myself." She sighed and flipped back on the bed, nearly toppling the bottle of nail polish over.

"Oh Acacia, did you hear? The Weasley twins and Harry Potter got banned from Quidditch! We could win this year!" Juniper exclaimed excitedly, finally noticing her presence.

"Can we not talk about Weasley's ever again?" Acacia groaned, pulling a pillow across her face. "They're all stupid and annoying."

"Ok, I'm not aware of what's going on but I want to know why." Heidi piped up.

"Which one did you like and who did they snog that's not you?" Hazel giggled as her twin and friend joined them on the bed.

"I don't like any of them and they didn't snog anyone that wasn't me."

"Then which did you snog?" Juniper gasps, pulling the pillow away from Acacia's face to reveal her flushed face.

"Was it Fred?" Juniper asked.

"Was it George?" Hazel asked.

"Was it the younger brother?" Heidi added.

Acacia tried to deny her hardest, giving death glares to the seventh year girls whenever they prompted her. For a moment they were all silent and she believed she was safe. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes before opening them as she exhaled and letting them land on Hazel.

"So it was Fred!" The oldest twin exclaimed, erupting the group in shock and giggled.

"But it was a mistake! I feel awful!" Acacia cried, slapping the backs of her hands defeatedly against the bed.

"Well that certainly was a choice." Heidi laughed.

"Heidi be nice!" Juniper scolded the girl. "She's obviously in shock."

"You sound like Cedric after I kissed you last year." Heidi winked, earning an eye roll from Juniper.

"Well she's not gay so it's not the same." Hazel replied and quickly turned to Acacia. "Are you gay? Because that's totally fine."

"Stop being such a Ravenclaw! She's not gay, she likes Ron." Juniper exclaimed in frustration.

"I don't like like Ron," Acacia sighed. "Ron is a good friend and he's been there for me with my issues with Isadora and just the general chaos of this year. I just don't want to ruin things."

"Wait I'm lost." Heidi raised a hand, interjecting into the group. "So you're only friends with Ron and you kissed his brother? How is that bad?"

"It's just confusing. Ron was nervous before the match and I might've given him a little kiss on the cheek. But after the game I ran into Fred and said that the fight was kind of hot because it was and I was drunk and we made out and ugh!"

"Again, how is that bad? If Ron is just a friend, it shouldn't matter." Heidi repeated herself and it seemed as if her sisters agreed. The twins nodded along with the statement but knew that there was more, only Acacia needed to say it herself.

"But I-," Acacia stuttered, catching her mouth before letting the words come out. Ron was her friend so it shouldn't matter if they were just friends. She could kiss whoever she wanted and he would be her friend. "I guess you're right. He's just my friend."

"If you say so." Hazel said under her breath and got whacked by a pillow from her twin.

"Well with that settled, you should get your rest Case." Juniper sighed. "It's late and we still have classes in the morning despite the match tonight."

"Alright, I'll see you guys in the morning." Acacia yawned and left to go to her room down the hall for bed.

-

Acacia nearly slept through her alarm that dreary Friday. Though the windows of Hufflepuff were charmed to bring in natural sunlight no matter the weather, you could always see exactly what precipitation fell outside. She peaked out her window as she dressed for the day, knowing she had many outdoor walkways to go through. Comparable to her mood, it was a mix of rain and ice, a perfect mixture for disaster.

She made it to breakfast with enough time to shove some food in her pockets and gulp down a pumpkin juice before heading down to potions. She ate along the way as the journey back to the basement was long and dreadful. She slipped into the room and took the closest empty seat. It wasn't until she let herself rest that she remembered the events of the night past. She felt her cheeks burn pink as she peered around the room at the few hungover faces, a mistake as she made eye contact with the one person she hoped to avoid that day.

On instinct, she looked to Isadora. Her trio of friends sat near the front of the class, laughing about something Blaise probably said. Her gaze lingered a hair too long as Isadora turned her head in her direction, making eye contact for a split second before Acacia's gaze shot back down at her textbook.

Class begun and they were thankfully working individually on a strengthening potion. To get to the ingredients, both groups of unwanted visitors would have to pass by the girl. She dove her head deep I to the pages, flicking through to pretend she was looking for the potion recipe.

The class was luckily quick, the potion would need the weekend to mature so students were allowed to leave as soon as they had completed the potion. She followed the lead of the Ravenclaw at her table, who was meticulous with their ingredients and process. She watched as Seamus blew up his cauldron as per usual but somehow it had created a chain reaction. As the explosive liquid sprayed around the room, the cauldrons nearby exploded as well. She watched as the tidal wave of exploding potions came towards her and quickly covered her cauldron with her text book. Once the smoke had settled, the class was destroyed.

"50 points from Gryffindor." Snape sneered, wiping the dirt from his face. "Mr. Finnegan has earned the class a round of detention tonight to rebrew the potion."

A round of groans and angry rebuttals rang around the room. Looking down at her unaffected potion, Acacia raised her hand.

"Miss Fletcher?" Snape sighed, responding to the raised hand.

"What if your potion was unaffected? Would detention be necessary?" She asked, revealing her intact cauldron and the liquid inside, softly bubbling.

"No, it would not be necessary. 50 points to Hufflepuff for your quick thinking." Snape grumbled. "Miss Fletcher please bring your cauldron to the front so I can store it for you over the weekend. Class dismissed."

The class left in a chorus of snarky remarks and whines while Acacia gathered her things slowly before bringing her cauldron to the front. A whisper of what one could call a smile from Snape passed across his lips as she deposited the bubbling pot of liquid on his desk.

There rest of the day passed as slow as paint drying and in nearly every one of her classes, there was some sort of disaster. In transfiguration, Neville accidentally turned his nose into a rat tail instead of the glass in front of him. In Herbology, Acacia got sent to the Hospital Wing after a run in with Chinese Chomping Cabbage. Nothing seemed to be going right.

But hours passed and it was time for the unavoidable. It was Friday night, her last night of duty with Ron for the month. As she left the common room, her sisters lounging with their friends by the fireplace shot her a quick thumbs up. On her way down, she decided that she would just be normal, like it was any other night.

"Ready to hit the towers?" She asked Ron as she entered the Great Hall.

"Um, yeah. Let's go." He replied and followed her out of the hall and into the corridors.

"How was detention with Snape?" She asked casually.

"Awful, but I sat far enough away from Seamus so I didn't have to worry about it blowing up again." He laughed softly. "Good move with covering your cauldron, wish I thought of that."

"Thanks, I'm not the greatest with the class so I didn't want to redo it."

The two did a few rounds in diligence with the occasional casual conversation. It was a relatively eventful night, with no school in the morning no one felt the stress of oversleeping or having to see Umbridge the next day, many students were out after hours. Those who were embarrassed or guilty about being caught were left with a warning, while those who talked back were docked points from their houses.

Once back in the Great Hall, Ron pulled out his little baggie of treats as it was his night to share. The two snacked silently until he decided to clear the air around the night before.

"So, did you have fun at the party last night?" He asked nudging candies around in the bag until he found a piece of Drooble's gum.

"Oh yeah." She stuttered slightly. "Think I drank a bit too much though."

"You didn't seem that hungover in Potions this morning. There were a few empty Pepper-Up vials in the common room this morning."

"Well I guess I just don't get hungover."

The pause in conversation hung above them, just like the situation from the night before.

"So should I tell Fred not to owl you tonight?" Ron mused, causing Acacia to choke on her toffee. "Did you really expect me not to bring it up?"

"I'm sorry I really shouldn't have. I just don't know what happened it just, happened." She blushed.

"It's alright. Not sure what could've brought that on but bloody hell I don't think I would've expected that from you."

"What do you mean? Did you think you'd be the only Weasley getting a kiss from me yesterday?" She joked and watched his face pink up.

"No it's just, never mind. Fred was right shocked by that snog though. Couldn't stop talking about it at breakfast." He joked, trying to hide is rosy complexion. "Hermione told him what Cinderella was and he couldn't stop calling you that no matter how much I told him your name is Acacia."

"Well as much as I'd love to be his Cinderella, I'm not really looking for a relationship right now." She paused, looking up from the table at him. "But you would've been okay with me dating your brother?"

"Of course." He replied. Acacia noted a small change in his demeanor. Something so minute that she couldn't quite place it other than it being down. "What're friends for."


	9. Ducklifors

"Alright, we will see you all next week for our last meeting before break!" Harry announced as the DA meeting came to a close.

The group clapped for their good work and began to gather their things and exit in their groups. Acacia had begun to get closer to her exit group of Luna, Ginny and Neville.

"I can't believe it's almost winter break." Neville said joyfully.

"I know! I'm so excited to go home." Ginny replied.

"Just be very careful of nargles," Luna added in a grave tone. "Mistletoe is full of them."

Luna's quirks often brought the group to laughter with the poor girl. They had learned of many new things from the girl's peculiar knowledge. She could always fill the silences with whatever new things she had learned. One thing Acacia always pondered was why Hermione wasn't a Ravenclaw but as she grew closer to the blonde, she realized why. Luna was smart, but she didn't boast about it or strive to be the best. She just knew about everything and brought up what she found interesting.

As the four walked down the hall towards Ravenclaw tower, they passed Blaise, Theo and Isadora. The two girls locked eyes but Isadora broke from her gaze first to laugh at something Blaise had said. The two boys barely seemed to notice her, and a pang of hurt rattled around her chest. Neville noticed first and patted her back kindly.

"It's alright Acacia, you don't need them." He said cheerily, which only made things worse for Acacia. Tears brimmed her eyes as she tried to sniffle them back.

"Why don't you all come into the common room?" Luna offered. "Not as many prying eyes there."

Acacia nodded and followed Luna into the Ravenclaw common room. If it weren't for the mess of feelings inside her, she would be in awe.

The room was round and its ceiling was similar to the Great Hall but much more complex as it adorned nearly every star in the sky at once. The floor was littered with bean bag chairs and comfy cushions for students to lie on while the antique furniture remained untouched. Bookshelves and desks scattered the room with small lamps to keep it lit. The few students inside didn't even bother to look up at the new arrivals, buried deep in their work.

Luna led them over to a comfy corner by the crackling hearth. Once settled, they all turned expectantly to Acacia to explain her sudden rush of emotions.

"So, want to tell us what's on your mind?" Ginny prompted.

"It just hurts," Acacia sighed. "Seeing them moving on. This is the longest we've gone without talking and I never thought I'd have to go through life without them. Well, at least Isadora. I remember when she forest got a crush on Theo, we planned their wedding."

"Wait do girls really do that?" Neville asked. "They weren't even dating and you were planning their wedding?"

"Oh yeah, we do." Acacia laughed. "I was supposed to be her maid of honor and she was going to be mine at my wedding to Blaise."

"You like Blaise?" Ginny asked shocked.

"No, we just had this pact that if neither of us was in a relationship by the time we were 30 we would get married."

"Well, there are worse things." Luna added dreamily.

"But I don't know what to do. They really hurt me saying that I've changed for the worse and how they wanted me to spy on everyone."

"Well, you could always say you miss them."

"That's the thing, Luna, I can't be the one to drop it. They always rely on me giving up and letting it go but I'm not a baby anymore. I need to know they know my worth."

"Well let's show them what they're missing!" Ginny exclaimed, a twinkle in her eye eerily similar to the one the twins often had.

-

Ginny's plan came to a head two days before the last DA meeting. Acacia had told her friends how she and Isadora had made a pact to go through the animagus process together and it just so happened that the night before had been the end of a moon cycle. They secretly followed Isadora for a week to see her pattern so they decided the best place to execute the plan was the library. The girl would split from the boys after supper as they went down to Slytherin and she would go study.

When the day came, Ginny decided that Acacia needed a small makeover. She took the Hufflepuff up to her room and got to work. First, she took some scissors to Acacia's hair and trimmed it to her collarbones and curled it a bit to give it some volume. She then applied some light makeup to her face to tszuj up her natural features. Acacia was slightly surprised at her work as she had 6 older brothers and Ginny never really boasted about her girly side.

Once they know Isadora would be settled, the four of them headed into the library. Neville had taken out a book about mandrakes a week before so he brought that with him as a visual prompt for their plan. Luna and Ginny led the group to a table on the other side of the bookcase where Isadora sat.

"I can't believe we did it!" Acacia exclaimed, making sure Isadora could hear her but they wouldn't get caught for being too loud.

"Thank Merlin it worked, who knew Mandrake leaves tasted so bad." Ginny replied, audibly making noise in disgust.

"Do you think I could get away with transforming right now?" Neville asked.

The group paused to see if there was any reaction from Isadora. A small shuffle and a book were removed from the shelf between them, creating a peephole for the groups.

"As long as you're not loud you should be fine." Acacia replied and nodded to Luna.

"Ducklifors." Luna whispered and pointed her wand at Neville under the table.

A small jet of light yellow light shot at the boy and he turned into a duck. The girls smiled cheekily as he quacked. Ginny went to hush him which only led to him quacking more. There was a shuffle from Isadora's table and they heard her get up and leave. Acacia muttered a quick undoing spell and the boy turned back from a duck.

"Wicked." Neville whispered in awe at the blonde across from him.

"I think it worked." Acacia whispered.

"Let's go then, see if she'll try to talk to you." Ginny replied and the four got up and left. Just as they thought, Isadora had lingered by the doors to the library to wait for her former friend.

"Acacia, can we talk?" She asked and Acacia nodded, waving goodbye to her friends. "Are you kidding me?"

"Kidding you about what?" Acacia mused.

"Oh stop with the bullshit, you know exactly what I mean. Did you become an Animagus without me? That was supposed to be our thing, just you and me together."

"That was before. Apparently, I'm not your friend anymore."

"You're not my friend? Where have you been the last month? We would've been past this if you handing been so high and mighty about it all. It was a stupid comment, the boys never should have said it."

"But you didn't help me." Acacia cried. "How could you be innocent if you didn't do anything to help?"

"What did you expect me to do? Say you were nothing to worry about? That you hadn't changed? Because we both know that's a lie."

"But it doesn't mean that I am all of a sudden the enemy! Can't you see that I am still the same person? So what if I have new friends?"

"New friends who would rather us out of the picture. You know Gryffindors hate Slytherins."

"And Slytherin's hate Gryffindors, whatever. You guys are all still my friends, is that not allowed?"

"No it's just," Isadora stuttered. "I don't know anymore. Just the stress of Umbridge and the pureblood expectations and all that is making this year so much harder. I just want us to be friends again and go back to before, is that too much to ask?"

"I missed you too," Acacia admitted. "I don't think I can promise it'll go to like before but I want to be friends again. It's been so hard without you."

"Ugh, I'm so glad." Isadora sighed happily and hugged her friend tightly. "Now, tell me everything I missed."

-

After a successful reunion with Isadora and filling her in on everything she had missed in her life, minus the DA, of course, Acacia found herself unable to sleep. She finally felt in the holiday spirit and just needed to let it out. So she carefully tiptoed outside of her house and across the hall to the kitchens.

"How can Dobby help miss Fletcher?" Dobby asked as he appeared before her.

"Can you get another house-elf or two to help? We will need all hands on deck for this to work." Acacia replied, a glimmer of jolly in her eyes.

Acacia and the elves worked well into the night, setting everything up just so. She made up a menu for snacks, a list of records to play and decorations for the large room. The house-elves were very helpful, eagerly using their magic to assist the girl.

"Miss," Dobby spoke up. "The sun is coming up. Miss should get some sleep before Miss has to go to class."

"Thank you for your help," Acacia replied, addressing all the elves that were present. "You all should also get some rest. I'll see you on the day."

-

After classes that Wednesday, Acacia skipped out on supper to get some studying done before the big surprise. She had managed to not tell anyone about her last-minute plans for the meeting. If she had let any vague detail slip, she might've set alarms off in the more wary members. She slipped into the room of requirement before even Harry arrived and summoned the house elves to set up. The fireplace was ablaze with tinsel hanging along the mantle and spun around the pillars, small lights hung from the ceiling and a tree in the corner. A table went on one side of the room with holiday treats and light music lingered in the air.

Acacia peered down at the watch on her right hand and watched as the hands hit 6:30 pm. Students were to be showing up soon, and the anticipation and anxiety were swirling in her like she was a cauldron in Snape's potions class. The french doors opened a crack and she watched as students trickled in, looking around the room in awe and curiosity. Luna ran over to her once she took in the room, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend.

"Did you organize this?" Harry asked, emerging from the cluster of students.

"I hope it's alright," Acacia replied tenderly. "I just know that everyone has had a hard year and a little holiday cheer might help."

"It's a great idea, Acacia. We'll do some training first then we can have a little party." Harry smiled, turning to the group.

Harry decided to make that last session of 1995 a review of all the work they had done. The group split into pairs, Acacia getting pulled by Luna who had yet to leave her side, and got to work. First, they practiced the Impediment Jinx, freezing each other in time over and over again. Then small bundles on paper appeared above them for them to practice the Reductor Curse, blasting the paper to ash time after time. And finally, they lined the room and practiced the Stunning Spell.

Once everyone was limping and bruised, Harry called it to an end and the party commenced. Acacia poured herself some punch and winced slightly at the taste, she then noticed a chuckling Fred and George high fiving as one of them slipped a flask into their pocket. She debated replacing the punch from the kitchen but the whole point of the party was to let loose, so instead, she added a new one to the table and marked the original one as spiked.

Music floated through the air as students chatted, snacked and danced. Acacia smiled to herself as her work had paid off. Everything finally felt good in her life and nothing could ruin it.

"Good job on the party." Ron complimented as he approached her. "What made you think to do this."

"Well, I finally made up with Isadora," Acacia replied, earning a small smile from her friend. "Also I couldn't sleep."

"Harry's been having the same issue. Don't tell anyone but he talks in his sleep, and has been having some weird fits in his sleep."

"Well it was just that night, all the excitement and what not but hopefully Harry is better. Have any plans for the break?"

"Going home." Ron replied before shaking his head. "Not much excitement. What about you?"

"Same here. But I'll be able to see my brothers and I think my sister is bringing her girlfriend." Acacia replied happily.

"Your mum lets you all bring friends for the holidays too?"

"I guess. Mostly it's just us and Aspen's family but since Juniper and Heidi have been dating mum's been dying to meet her."

"Juniper and," Ron stuttered, blushing up a storm. "Oh, I understand. My mum is the same. I mentioned that we were partnered up for prefects instead of Mione and me and she got Ginny to write her about you."

"I'm flattered. Mrs. Weasley wants to hear about me?" Acacia laughed before realizing he was serious. "Well, what did she say?"

"You'd have to ask Ginny." Ron laughed before starting to walk towards Harry and Hermione. "See you on the train yeah? I'll find you."

"Sounds good," Acacia replied and searched for Ginny. She found the girl in a lively discussion with Zacharias Smith, most likely about quidditch. "Mind if I steal her?"

"Oh sure." Zacharias replied and waved the girls goodbye as Acacia dragged the young redhead towards a private corner.

"So you wrote to your mum about me?" Acacia asked gingerly.

"Oh yeah. She asked about the puff girl her little Ronald was paired with." Ginny informed her. "Don't worry about it though, only glowing reviews from this Weasley."

"Thank Merlin." Acacia sighed in relief. "I don't know if I could cope if your mother didn't like me."

"Why's that?" Ginny smirked loosely.

"I just need moms to like me. I remember when I first met Blaise's mum, I fought so hard for her to like me."

"If you say so. Mum will love you, whenever you get the chance to visit."

"Well, I guess we will have to see when I get invited." Acacia hinted to her friend.

"I guess we will have to see." Ginny winked and walked away towards her brother and his friends.

The party slowly came to a close and students began to leave in their clumps. Some students who had had too much of the twin's punch were more or less escorted to their respective dormitories. Acacia lingered back, cleaning up a bit of the mess that had been made despite knowing the room would go back to perfect cleanliness the next time they needed it.

"Acacia, are you coming?" A voice asked and the girl looked up to see her feelings Hufflepuff, Ernie MacMillan peeking his head through the door.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." Acacia replied and grabbed her bag before heading out with him.

"Good job at the party tonight. I think we all needed it."

"Thanks. I thought we deserved some fun too."

"So how are prefect duties going? You're with Ron Weasley yeah?"

"It's going pretty good, he always has snacks on duty. How's it going with you and your partner?"

"Padma is really great, we work well together." He replied as they entered the barrels. "I'll see you on the train in the morning?"

"I'll see you there." Acacia smiled as she headed up to her dorm for bed.


End file.
